Some UK employers still treat online sick notes with suspicion — usually out of unfamiliarity rather than any legal basis. In fact, digital medical certification is fully valid under UK law, and refusing it can create more problems than it solves.
Under NHS and government guidance, any qualified doctor can issue a fit note digitally. Platforms like Simply Sick use GMC-registered doctors, which makes their certificates every bit as valid as one collected from a surgery front desk.
● Unfamiliarity — HR policy hasn’t caught up with digital healthcare.
● Fraud worries — despite verification processes and encryption that make modern platforms harder to fake than paper.
● Habit — a preference for in-person GP visits that NHS guidance itself no longer requires.
● Tribunal exposure if an employee is penalised despite valid documentation.
● Damaged morale when genuine illness is treated as suspect.
● Longer absences, because employees can’t document and resolve them quickly.
● Verification is easy — doctor details are included on every note.
● Absence paperwork resolves in hours, not weeks.
● Policy stays aligned with UK medical and employment law.
Digital healthcare is the direction the UK is moving. Employers who update their policies now avoid legal risk — and support their people better in the process.
